Photo exhibition of Benazir Bhutto

Pakistani Girls looking at pictures of Benazir Bhutto during exhibition on the occasion of 58th Birthday Anniversary of Benazir Bhutto at Benazir Bhutto park in Karachi.

58th Birthday Anniversary of Benazir Bhutto

National Assembly Speaker, Dr.Fehmida Mirza addresses function in commemoration of Fifty-eight Birthday Anniversary of Benazir Bhutto held in Islamabad.

Shaheed Rani Benazir Bhutto

Sindh govt announces holiday on 27th to mourn BB’s death

Sindh Cabinet has declared 27th December as holiday all over the province as on this day PP Chairperson & former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was martyred. The Cabinet also recommended to the Federal Government to declare 27th December as holiday all over the country. The Cabinet also decided to expedite the process of return of the right to Sindh to collect sales tax on services. This was stated by Mrs. Shazia Mari, Sindh Minister for information while addressing a press conference in the auditorium of New sindh Secretariat on Tuesday to brief the media of the decisions taken in the meeting of Sindh Cabinet.

Information Minister, however, had to face a volley of embarrassing questions on the failure of the Government in making any progress in the investigation of the assassination of PP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto a year back. Mrs. Shazia Marri said that Sindh cabinet has also decided to henceforth observe 27th December as holiday in Sindh every year. She said, on that day Pakistan's national flag would fly half -mast. Information Minister stated that Sindh Cabinet decided to expedite the process for getting the right to collect sales tax back to Sindh. In this regard, she said, Sindh Chief Minister , who had already taken up this issue with the Federal Government, would take follow up actions. She recalled that some time back an inter-provincial meeting of Finance Ministers was held in Lahore in which a resolution was passed unanimously to this effect and it was demanded that the right to collect sales tax on services be returned to the provinces. She also recalled that this right used to be with the provinces but in 2001-02 an ordinance was promulgated to transfer this right from province to the federal government. Shazia Marri said that the decision to de-weaponize whole province was aimed at reducing the use of arms. She said, under this campaign, even licensed arms would also be verified and re-registered. Besides, she said, Sindh Cabinet has also decided to remove the barricades on the roads to facilitate the movement of law enforcing agencies so to ensure security. However, she said, this campaign would be implemented slowly.

The Minister said, Sindh Cabinet also decided to strengthen Sindh Technical Education & Vocational Authority (STVA) in order to streamline technical education in Sindh. She said since handing over of Technical & Vocational Institutes to the District Governments their condition had deteriorated. She said, now these institutes would be handed over to newly formed STVA. However, she said, final decision to this effect would be taken in the next meeting of Sindh Cabinet. She said Sindh Chief Minister has issued strict instructions to take action against those found in the black-marketing and selling Urea Fertilize at inflated prices. Sindh Information Minister had to face a volley of embarrassing question in the failure of the Government in the progress made so far in the investigation of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, assassinated Chairperson PP & former Prime Minister.

The Minister did not agree that no progress has been made in this investigation. But, she refused to comment on this issue. Howe3ver, she called the 18th October carnage and assassination of Benazir Bhutto on 27th December as the most painful tragedies of the history of Pakistan.